‘Granny’ caught smuggling drugs into Manatee County jail for 3 inmates, sheriff says
A food services crew leader and three inmates at the Manatee County Jail have been arrested on charges related to narcotics being brought into the facility, Sheriff Rick Wells announced Friday.
Gretchen Rupprecht, 64, faces two counts of introduction of contraband. Inmates Corey Crews, Dalton Cook and Adrian Conde are also facing charges related to the scheme.
Each of the inmates charged in the investigation were already in jail on drug-related charges.
On Jan. 23, deputies searched two cells after observing inmates who appeared to be under the influence of drugs. The search revealed a THC vape pen and other narcotics, triggering an investigation to determine how they arrived at the facility.
“As deputies started to talk to the inmates, one common name became familiar to all of us — that was the nickname ‘Granny,’” Wells said during a Friday afternoon press conference. “Inmates told deputies that Granny was bringing this contraband into the facility.”
Inmates and deputies know Rupprecht, who had been hired to work in the jail kitchen in June 2020, for her ‘Granny’ nickname, Wells said. The sheriff’s office fired her Friday morning following her arrest.
Wells said Rupprecht had “disgraced” the law enforcement agency by participating in a scheme to smuggle drugs into the jail facility. An investigation found that Rupprecht befriended one of the inmates and started meeting one of his associates while she wasn’t at work to receive drugs and share them with the inmates.
Rupprecht first became friends with Crews, 35, who worked as an inmate in the jail cafeteria. Wells said Crews convinced Rupprecht to begin bringing drugs into the facility, arranging to pay her $25 for every drop-off she made.
Investigators say Crews’ friend provided vape pens, liquid methamphetamines and cigarettes for Rupprecht to bring with her into the jail. She shared them with Crews by hiding them in a cooler in the kitchen for him to bring back to his cell.
“For some reason, she fell for him and wanted to help him. She thought she was doing something good for him and now she’s sitting in the jail not too far from him,” Wells said.
“She received $100 for four meet-ups. To me, that’s a heck of a price to pay to land in jail — a 64-year-old woman who has never been incarcerated before,” he continued. “It’s really mind-blowing to me, but that was the choice that she made.”
The sheriff’s office has identified the person who met with Rupprecht outside of the jail to provide the drugs, Wells said. That person’s name has not been released to the public, but charges are forthcoming, deputies say.
Rupprecht was arrested Friday morning, Wells said, and during an interview with investigators, she allegedly acknowledged her involvement in a scheme to bring contraband into the jail. Criminal and internal investigations are still underway, the sheriff’s office said.
As a result of this investigation, new security protocols will be put into place for employees entering the jail facility, Wells confirmed.
“This is the first time we’ve ever had a problem with someone bringing stuff into the facility,” said Wells. “There are protocols that will be put in place because of her.”
Each inmate faces also two charges related to sneaking drugs into a county detention facility.
This story was originally published January 28, 2022 at 12:41 PM.
